1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to integrated electronic and photonic design methodologies and, more particularly, to design environments that incorporate both electronic and photonic elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Designers of electronic devices and components frequently employ design tools to aid them. Such computer-aided design (CAD) makes use of automated rule checking and stock component types to allow a designer to rapidly create full circuit designs that conform to the requirements of the fabrication technology to be used.
While electronic design is well established, nanophotonic integrated circuits are an emerging domain and present design technologies are inadequate. At present, integrated electronic/photonic devices undergo two wholly separate design processes, one in the electronic domain and one in the photonic domain, and designers must iterate back and forth to resolve conflicts and malfunctions. Such methodologies, where two separate designs are merged, are highly error-prone and time-consuming. Furthermore, photonic design tools are immature and lack the flexibility of electronic design tools.
For example, a designer may use a layout editor environment and check electrical properties, manufacturability, and design rules using a design rule checker (DRC) that is customized for a particular manufacturing setup solely targeting electrical performance. The designer may also perform such a step for the photonic design, having its own DRC process for photonics manufacturing processes and design rules, but photonic components have needs which don't have counterparts in the electrical domain.